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in their houses: her generous countryman parted with what he could spare1 to buy her clothes, furnished her with a horse,2 and gave her letters of recommendation to Mr Gluck, a faithful friend of his father's, and superintendent at Marienburgh. Our beautiful stranger had only to appear to be well received; she was immediately admitted into the superintendent's family, as governess to3 his two daughters.

In the meantime1 Marienburgh was taken by the Russians; and such was the fury of the assailants, that not only the garrison, but almost all the inhabitants, men, women, and children, were put to the sword; at length, when the carnage was pretty well over, Catharine was found hid in an oven.

She had been hitherto poor, but still was free; she had now to learn what it was to be a slave; in this situation, however, she behaved with piety and humility; and though misfortunes abated her vivacity, yet she was cheerful. The fame of her merit and resignation reached Prince Menzikoff, the Russian General; he desired to see her, was struck with her beauty, bought her of the soldier her master, and placed her under the direction of his own sister. Here she was treated with all the respect which her merit deserved, while her beauty every day improved with her good fortune.

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She had not been long 10 in this situation, when Peter the Great, paying the Prince a visit,11 Catharine happened to come in with 12 some dry fruits, which she served round with peculiar modesty. The mighty monarch 13 returned the next day, called for 14 the beautiful slave, asked 1 her several questions, and found her understanding even more perfect than her person.

He had been forced, when young, to marry from motives of

1 Parted with what he could spare, Se défit de tout ce dont il put disposer. — 2 Furnished her with a horse, Lui procura un cheval.-3 See § 32, 10.-4 In the meantime, Sur ces entrefaites.-5 See § 55, 44.-6 What it was to be a slave, Ce que c'était que d'être esclave.-7 She was cheerful, Elle conserva sa gaîté.-3 Of the soldier her master, Au soldat à qui elle appartenait. See also § 33.-9 Which her merit deserved, Dû à son mérite.-10 She had not been long, Il n'y avait pas longtemps qu'elle était 11 See § 3, 3.-12 Catharine happened to come in with, Catherine entra par hasard portant.—13 See § 3, 1.-14 Called for, Fit venir.-15 Asked, Fit.

interest; he was now resolved to marry pursuantly to1 his own inclinations. He immediately inquired the history of the fair Livonian, who was not yet eighteen. He traced her through all the vicissitudes of her fortune,2 and found her truly great in them all. The meanness of her birth was no obstruction to his design : their nuptials were solemnised in private; the Prince assuring his courtiers, that virtue alone was the most proper ladder to a throne.3 GOLDSMITH. 1729-1774.

THE DERVISE.

A DERVISE, travelling through Tartary, being arrived at the town of Balk, went into the king's palace by mistake, as thinking it to be a public inn or caravansary.

Having looked about him for some time, he entered into a long gallery, where he laid down his wallet, and spread his carpet, in order to repose himself upon it, after the manner of the Eastern

nations.

He had not been long7 in this posture before he was discovered by some of the guards, who asked him what was his business in that place? The Dervise told them he intended to take up his night's lodging in that caravansary. The guards let him know, in a very angry manner, that the house he was in was not a caravansary, but the king's palace. It happened that the king himself passed through the gallery during this debate, and smiling at the mistake of the Dervise, asked him how he could be so dull as not to distinguish a palace from a caravansary? 10 "Sire," says the Dervise, "give me leave to ask your majesty a question11 or two. Who were the persons that lodged in this house when it was first

1 Pursuantly to, Selon.-2 He traced her through all the vicissitudes of her fortune, Il la suivit à travers toutes les vicissitudes de sa destinée. -3 That virtue alone was the most proper ladder to a throne, Que les vertus seules sont les plus sûrs degrés pour arriver au trône.-4 As thinking it to be, Pensant que c'était. See § 28, 1.After the manner, À la manière.—7 Long, Longtemps.-8 What was his business, Ce qu'il faisait.-9 The house he was in, La maison où il se trouvait.-10 See § 1.11 A question or two, Une ou deux questions.

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"And who," says the

built?"1 The king replied, "His ancestors."2 Dervise, 'was the last person that lodged here?" The king replied, "His father." "And who is it," says the Dervise, "that lodges here at present?" The king told him "That it was he himself." "And who," says the Dervise, "will be here after you?" The king answered, "The young prince, his son." "Ah! sire," said the Dervise, " a house that changes its inhabitants so often, and receives such a perpetual succession of guests,3 is not a palace, but a caravansary." J. ADDISON. 1672-1719.

MAHOMET.

MAHOMET, or more properly Mohammed, the only son of Abdallah and Amina, was born at Mecca, four years after the death of Justinian, and two months after the defeat of the Abyssinians, whose victory would have introduced into the Caaba the religion of the Christians. In his early infancy, he was deprived of his father, his mother, and his grandfather; his uncles were strong and numerous; and in the division of the inheritance, the orphan's share was reduced to five camels and an Æthiopian maid-servant. Abu Taleb, the most respectable of his uncles, was the guide and guardian of his youth. Mahomet, in his twenty-fifth year, entered into the service of Cadijah, a rich and noble widow of Mecca, who soon rewarded his fidelity with the gift of her hand and fortune. The marriage contract describes him as the most accomplished of the tribe of Koreish; and stipulates a dowry of twelve ounces of gold and twenty camels, which was supplied by the liberality of his uncle. By this alliance, the son of Abdallah was restored to the station of his ancestors; and the judicious Cadijah was con

When it was first built, Aussitôt qu'elle fut bâtie.-2 The king replied, his ancestors, Le roi répondit que c'étaient ses ancêtres.-3 And receives such a perpetual succession of guests, Et reçoit ainsi continuellement de nouveaux hôtes.-4 Was born at Mecca, Naquit à la Mecque.-5 Was restored to the station of his ancestors, Fut rétabli dans la position de ses ancêtres. The judicious Cadijah, La sensée Cadijah.

tent with his domestic virtues, till, in the fortieth year of his age, he assumed the title of a prophet, and proclaimed the religion of the Koran.

According to the tradition of his companions, Mahomet was distinguished by1 the beauty of his person, an outward gift that is seldom despised, except by those to whom it has been refused. Before he spoke, the orator engaged on his side the affections of a public or private audience. They applauded his commanding presence, his majestic aspect, his piercing eye, his gracious smile, his flowing beard, his countenance that painted every sensation of the soul, and his gestures that enforced each expression of the tongue. In the familiar offices of life he scrupulously adhered to the grave and ceremonious politeness of his country: his respectful attention to the rich and powerful was dignified by his condescension and affability to the poorest citizens of Mecca; the frankness of his manner concealed the artifice of his views. His memory was capacious and retentive; his imagination sublime; his judgment clear, rapid, and decisive. He possessed the courage both of thought and action; and, although his designs might gradually expand with his success, the first idea which he entertained of his divine mission bears the stamp of an original and superior genius. The son of Abdallah was educated in the bosom of the noblest race, in the use of the purest dialect of Arabia. With these powers of eloquence, Mahomet was an illiterate barbarian; his youth had never been instructed in the arts of reading and writing;10 the common ignorance exempted him from shame or reproach, but he was reduced to a narrow circle of existence, and deprived of those faithful mirrors which reflect to our mind the minds of sages and heroes. From 11 his earliest youth Mahomet was addicted to

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1 Was distinguished by, Se faisait remarquer pour.-2 The orator engaged on his side the affections, Il avait gagné les sympathies 3 His commanding presence, Son air imposant. That enforced, Qui donnaient de la force à.-5 In the familiar offices, Dans les rapports familiers.-6 His respectful attention to.... was dignified by, Ses égards respectueux pour . . . . étaient relevés par.-7 Capacious and retentive, Vaste et fidèle. -8 Divine mission, Mission divine.-9 With these powers of eloquence, Avec toutes ces qualités d'orateur.-10 His youth had never been instructed in the arts of reading and writing, Dans sa jeunesse on ne lui avait jamais enseigné à lire ou à écrire.-11 From, Dès.

religious contemplation; each year, during the month of Ramadan, he withdrew from the world, and in the cave of Hera, three miles from Mecca, he consulted the spirit of fraud or enthusiasm, whose abode is not in the heavens, but in the mind of the Prophet. The faith which, under the name of Islam, he preached to his family and nation, is compounded of an eternal truth, and a necessary fiction, THAT THERE IS ONLY ONE GOD, AND THAT MAHOMET IS THE APOSTLE OF GOD.

GIBBON. 1737-1794.

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THE VULTURE AND HIS CHILDREN.

"My children," said an old vulture to his young ones, "you will the less want my instructions, because you have had my practice1 before your eyes. You have seen me snatch from the farm the household fowls, you have seen me seize the leveret in the bush, and the kid in the pasture; and you know how to fix your talons, and how to take your flight when you are laden with your prey. But you remember the taste of more delicious food. I have often regaled you with the flesh of man." "Tell us," said the young vultures, "where man may be found, and how he may be known; his flesh is surely the natural food of the vulture. Why have you never brought a man in your talons to the nest ?" "He is too bulky," said the vulture; “when we find a man we can only tear away his flesh, and leave his bones upon the ground." "Since man is so big," said the young ones, "how do you kill him? You are afraid of the wolf and of the bear; by what power are vultures superior to man? Is man more defenceless+ than a sheep?" "We have not the strength of man," returned the vulture, "and I am sometimes in doubt whether we have the subtlety; and the vultures would seldom feast upon his flesh, had not nature," that devoted him to our uses, infused into him

1 My practice, Mon exemple.-2 See § 55, 39.-3 To fix your talons, Enfoncer vos serres. Is more defenceless, A moins de défense. And I am sometimes in doubt whether we have the subtlety, Et je doute quelquefois que nous ayons autant de finesse. See § 5, 8.-7 That devoted him, Qui l'a destiné.

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